What’s up guys? I hope you’re all as happy with your relationships as I am.

Of course it did not start out that way. I had to go through the dreaded first date. You know the feeling – you don’t know what to expect and are nervously hoping everything goes great. Knowing that being nervous does not help is no consolation at all. But there are some things you can do to calm yourself and regain your confidence before that all-important first date.

First dates are as wonderful and as exciting as they are scary. Those are the moments – a few good hours – in our lives when nature lets all the butterflies descend upon our tummies and send us into a crazy frenzy of anxiety.

More often than not, it’s the more important and more valuable dates that cause the most anxiety. We girls have lots of ways to ease pre-date jitters. There’s always the BFF to vent out to hours before the actual date. There’s always yoga or a cup of calming jasmine or chamomile tea to ease the nerves. And of course, grooming up is one of the best, most effective ways to ease them butterflies in the stomach before a date.

But how do men cope? If you’ve come as far as booking a first date, it means you’ve been successful and probably won’t need tips about how to meet girls. How do men ease their tensions to be calm and relaxed before a date? You can’t possibly call up your best guy bud and giggle and squeal like a little girl, can you? And so here are some manly tips to help relax and calm you down before a first date:

A glass of wine or a shot of scotch will go a long way. Did you know that alcohol was once used, medicinally, to help calm the nerves? There’s nothing like a good glass of wine or some scotch on the rocks to help ease your nervous energy. Gulp it down before going to your destination or drink some right before your date arrives. Don’t drink more than a glass of it though – especially when you’re driving – that is if you want to avoid looking like a complete idiot! And don’t do it every time you have an upcoming date because alcohol can do more harm than good, too.

Exercise. Right before taking a shower, sweat out some energy. Box around, run around the neighborhood or run up a few flights of stairs. Maybe even swim a lap. Those jitters are excess energy and the only way to calm them is to release them. Don’t tire yourself too much though.

Look good. More often than not, jitters are a result of your lack of confidence. Boost yourself by looking great and smelling even better. What makes you look great will make you feel great, and vice versa. There’s really nothing to worry about your looks anyway. You look great champion!

Psyche yourself up. It’s just a date. It’s just one of the many dates. Don’t make a big deal out of it. No one’s going to slash your throat or strangle you to death if you don’t make too much of an impression. Everything that you’re scared about – it’s all in your head. Your doom scenarios are all in your head and never in reality. So why worry? She’s bound to be just as worried as you are anyway!

Dates are fun, exciting, and could lead you to find that one true love of your life. Don’t let your irrational fears and weird case of nerves get the best of you. And hey, don’t forget to pick her up! You’ve earned that date; therefore there must be something great and date-worthy about you. You are one awesome guy so don’t let your worries hang a cloud over your awesomeness. Have fun!